The New Rulers of the World

The myths of globalisation have become part of everyday language, with phrases such as "thinking globally" and "the global economy" suggesting a unified global village where national borders and identities are no longer significant. But what exactly is globalisation, and where is this global village? In 2001, John Pilger explored these questions in his film *The New Rulers of the World*, which used Indonesia as a key example. The World Bank had once described Indonesia as a "model pupil," but its globalised economy collapsed in 1998. Globalisation has not only made the world smaller; it has also made it interdependent. An investment decision made in London can lead to unemployment for thousands in Indonesia, while a business decision in Tokyo can create thousands of new jobs for workers in north-east England.